Dendromecon rigida
Evergreen, sclerophyllous chaparral shrub that resprouts after fire, bears bright yellow flowers and long beanlike capsules bearing oily seeds adapted for ant dispersal.
Common Names
Bush Poppy, Tree Poppy, Californian Tree Poppy
Summary
Native to California and Baja California, the plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree with stiff upright to rounded growth, blue-green to gray-green leathery leaves, and bright yellow four-petaled flowers that bloom in spring. It has a drought-tolerant, very low-water requirement once established, grows in full sun on well-drained soils, and occurs on dry slopes and washes; it is fire-following and resprouts from the base after wildfire.
Preferring full sun and well-drained soils, it tolerates clay with minimal water after establishment and remains drought-tolerant with little irrigation once established; prune lightly after flowering. In cultivation it serves as an ornamental in native or drought-tolerant plantings, offers background or massing potential, provides erosion control, and attracts bees and butterflies; propagation is by seed or cuttings, and hardiness generally spans USDA zones 7–10.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
3-10 ft
Spread
2-8 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 8-10
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Well-drained, fast-draining soil, suitable for sandy, loamy, or rocky soils, and avoiding heavy, poorly drained clay.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil.
Soil pH
6-8
Bloom Color
Yellow
Bloom Time
Spring to early Summer
Foliage Color
Gray-green
Fall Foliage Color
No fall color change
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
Moderate growth rate
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Cuttings
Attracts Wildlife
Bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Benth.
- Publication
- Trans. Hort. Soc. London , ser. 2, 1: 407 (1834 publ. 1835)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Ranunculales
- Family
- Papaveraceae
- Subfamily
- Papaveroideae
- Tribe
- Eschscholtzieae
- Genus
- Dendromecon
Synonyms
Dendromecon agnina Dendromecon bolanderi Dendromecon brandegeei Dendromecon caesia Dendromecon densifolia Dendromecon fastigiata Dendromecon flexilis Dendromecon herbacea Dendromecon leiophylla Dendromecon pallida Dendromecon piercei Dendromecon pumila Dendromecon quercetorum Dendromecon saligna Dendromecon rigida subsp. rigida Dendromecon caudata Dendromecon elliptica Dendromecon myrtifolia